@alfiejoe if you had parvovirus as a child, you are likely immune. More than 50% of the population is. Your bloodwork tomorrow will tell you if you have the long-term "memory" antibody against the virus, anti-parvovirus B19 IgM.

If you are not immune, no harm will come to your baby unless you actually contract the disease (ingesting a few viral particles won't harm you). The incubation period is a few days, so you won't know for a week or so. Unlike small children, adults don't get the characteristic rash; instead you get flu-like symptoms.

Even if you actually get sick, only 5% of those who are sick have adverse effects on the baby.

Now those adverse effects are bad. They include an autoimmune destructive anemia, and miscarriage. Which is obviously very scary. But think again of the numbers: starting at a risk of 100, 50 are immune (so chances are 50/100); only a certain percentage get sick (let's assume high, medium, and low-risk scenarios: half get sick-- 25/100; 1/4 get sick: 12/100; 1/10 get sick: 5/100). And then, only 5% of the sick women have problems with their babies: (1.25/100; 6/1000; 2.5/1000). Not terrible!!

January 30th, 2013, 06:36 PM

blade

@lineska, anajo:

I know these things are frightening, but I absolutely believe everyone should undergo these screening exams. Firstly, pregnancies are not causally linked events. Having one healthy, normal pregnancy is absolutely unrelated to having another healthy, normal pregnancy (especially for something like chromosomal abnormalities, which occur at conception).

Even if you are deeply philosophically opposed to abortion, and would never terminate any pregnancy under any conditions. It's very important to be prepared if you possibly can be. The quad screen bloodwork, for example, can diagnose spina bifida or other neural tube defects-- these defects can be operated on in the womb, before delivery, and dramatically improve outcome. Birth, on the other hand, can permanently and irreversibly paralyze the baby.

Thirdly, knowing these sorts of things ahead of time helps you make a safe birth plan. A midwife, for example anajo, should never deliver a Down's baby given their bad airways and high risk of congenital heart defects. There is a much higher chance that the baby will need expert resuscitation, intubation, and even surgery in the first few days of life. A Down's baby should always be delivered at a hospital with a full, level-1 NICU and pediatric surgical subspecialists, to save that baby's life and give him/her the best possible functionality and quality of life.

Fourthly, for Down Syndrome in particular, knowing ahead of time helps you buckle down and get everything ready for the baby, outside of any emergent immediate medical needs. You can start putting together the massive, lengthy paperwork needed for all of the services, therapists and specialists your child will need. You can research schools and special education programs. You can prepare family and friends ahead of time. And-- since this is nameberry-- you can select a name easy for your child to spell and pronounce, like Paul & Jane rather than Sebastian or Liliana.

It's frightening but you're frightened of the actual situation, not knowledge of the situation. Ignorance is *not* bliss, and it's not like these tests *cause* Down Syndrome or spina bifida or anything else-- they just diagnose is 20+ weeks ahead of time allowing the preparations above to be made.

January 31st, 2013, 03:14 PM

glamatomic

I'm 18 weeks along :) I'm due July 3, 2013! Can't wait to find out what the gender is on Feb 11!

January 31st, 2013, 05:20 PM

juniper

Glamatonic...I'm actually in my first month of TTC our second child but I know a few friends of mine who's due dates are within days of yours and they are also finding out the gender next week. Are you super excited? Is this your first?

February 1st, 2013, 04:55 PM

libbyj06

I saw my new OB today. He was nice and professional and I think I will feel comfortable with him. I'm not so comfortable with one of the restrictions he puts on VBAC patients but he did sound like he would discuss other options with me so I'm hoping that we can talk about that in a couple months. I really don't have any other options for OBs at this point except to travel an hour away which I would do if my last option.

February 1st, 2013, 05:02 PM

punkprincessphd

Blade, just wanted to say kudos for offering such thoughtful medically-sound advice on this thread (and lots of others)! There are so many anxieties that come with pregnancy and childrearing, but knowing the information - the good, the bad, and the ugly, really helps to alleviate them.

Best wishes to all the ladies waiting for test results, and hopes for healthy babes one and all.

February 1st, 2013, 05:18 PM

blade

thanks @punkprincess. @libby, curious, what are the restrictions for TOLAC? Glad you liked your new doctor.

February 1st, 2013, 05:31 PM

libbyj06

blade - the only one he has discussed so far is only allowing 3 days past the due date before a scheduled c section. He did kind of make it sound like if there was progress(dilation, effacement, contractions, ) that maybe their were other options but he didn't go into detail and I didn't ask right then. I'm I will find out more restrictions as we go along though. I mean, really, how many women have their babies on or even 3 days after the due date? And he offered no reasons as to why he does this. I've been researching it but not finding a whole lot of info. I know using a strong dose of pitocin probably isn't the best idea but I've heard of lots of doctors who will use small doses of pit. before just doing a repeat. My son came 5 days early but I have no guarantee this baby will too. I'm kind of discouraged.

February 1st, 2013, 05:43 PM

libbyj06

blade- i did read cytotec(is that the correct name?) increases the risk of rupture and shouldn't be used. I'm not even sure what that is. something to do with softening the cervix maybe? Anyhow, using the whole past due thing just seems like a good way for an OB to get out of dealing with a vbav. My previous OB was going to let me go ten days overdue with inducing as I did not want to be induced at all. (of course that was with no previous c section, but if the risks dont increase for a vbac why won't they let me go maybe a week instead of just 3 days? That just seems so unrealistic.)